Uncategorized

I woke up early this morning. Instead of laying in bed, lamenting that I couldn’t sleep, I actually got up. I took care of myself. I had breakfast. I took my medicine. Brushed my teeth, washed my face… all the things I have to scurry around doing while my kids are calling me from the other room, I actually got to do and ENJOY. I even got dressed in clothes that aren’t pajamas. Okay, so they’re yoga pants, but I get points for trying, right? And now, I’m going to actually try and get some work done while my kids are still sleeping. People, I haven’t been this proud of myself in a long time.

Today, I’d like to welcome Michaela from The Sphinx Project by Kate Hawkings to the blog! I just finished reading The Sphinx Project, and I loved it! You can check out my review HERE. I asked her some either/or questions as to what she would prefer. Welcome Michaela!

BREA: Michaela, do you prefer being by yourself or with others?

MICHAELA: It’s hard to decide because I’ve never really had much time to myself. I’ve managed to steal a few moments here and there since we left the labs though, and I’ve really enjoyed the peace.

BREA:Soda or coffee?

MICHAELA: I’ve never tried coffee, but it smells nice!

BREA: Car or motorbike?

MICHAELA: Motorbikes, they just makes me feel free.

BREA: Rock music or pop music?

MICHAELA: To be honest I don’t know the difference… I’ve liked all the music we’ve listened to though.

BREA: Going to stores or ordering online?

MICHAELA: I’ve not bought anything online before, but Mouse has. It seems so much easier.

BREA: Cake or ice cream?

MICHAELA: ICE CREAM!

BREA: Movie theatre or DVD?

MICHAELA: I’ve never been to a movie theatre OR watched a DVD before…

BREA: Book or magazine?

MICHAELA: Book… I’ve seen a couple of magazines since I got out, but they all seem to be about clothes.

BREA: Dressy clothes or casual clothes?

MICHAELA: Casual. I really don’t understand the frilly and lacy bits on the dressy clothes. I like to be able to move around without worrying about what I’m wearing.

BREA: Sleep in or get up early?

MICHAELA: Early. I like seeing the sun rise.

BREA: Italian or Mexican?

MICHAELA: I don’t think I’ve tried Mexican, but I did get to try pizza. It was awesome!

BREA: Which would you rather lose, you hair or your teeth?

MICHAELA: Hair, I could always wear a wig.

BREA: Chocolate or vanilla?

MICHAELA: Chocolate, definitely chocolate.

BREA: Money or love?

MICHAELA: I’ve never had money of my own, I can live without it. I’d take love any day.

BREA: Fly or read minds?

MICHAELA: Hmm, both could be hugely advantageous… On one hand I would always know what my opponent are going to do next. On the other, I would be able to get a proper view of our location and see things coming from miles away. Although it would probably be more sensible to choose mind reading, flight just tugs at me!
BREA: Lose your sight or hearing?

MICHAELA: Sight. My hearing would be more beneficial than my sight if I were only to have one of them.

Thanks so much for visiting with me today, Michaela! I really enjoyed your story, and can’t wait to see what happens to you next!

For those of you who haven’t picked up The Sphinx Project yet, you should! It’s great!

Today we were discussing the lost colony of Roanoke in my English class. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the story, there were some settlers on Roanoke Island before the pilgrims settled at Jamestown, Virginia. My professor gave us three minutes to free-write about what we thought might have happened to the settlers that vanished. I didn’t end up deciding what I thought happened, but I thought I would share with you what I did write:

“Ellen! Grab James–they’re coming!”

Ellen glanced at the terrified face of her husband John. “But what of our belongings?”

“There’s no time. Leave everything.”

She grabbed her two-year-old son from the floor where he sat playing. He screamed his outrage at being disturbed. “Keep him quiet,” John ordered.

Picking up James’ favorite toy, she handed it to him and the child quieted. They ran for the door and opened it to find devastation.

So, what do you think? Should I continue this? Any theories as to what happened to the lost colony?

Today we have the Elemental Reality Blog Tour stopping by! I recently had the opportunity to read and review Elemental Reality (Elemental #1) by Cesya MaRae Cuono

Synopsis:

When Callie Pierce was ten, her mother disappeared without a trace. On the eve of her disappearance twelve years later, the earth seemingly comes alive. The elements speak to Callie, and that’s only the beginning. Everything she has ever known was a twisted fabrication to protect her. Now the truth is set free. Callie and her sister are more powerful than any Faerie ever born. Now they have to use their powers to save their mother and family from the evil hands of fate that threaten to tear them apart. Welcome to her elemental reality.

Review:

I loved this! Faeries and hot Australian men—what’s not to like? The characters were fantastic (especially Oli!). It is a unique view of faerie mythology. I liked the magic of it all and the interaction between Callie and her sister Lola.

The ending just about killed me. Prepare for a huge cliffhanger! If it doesn’t have you scrambling for book two, I don’t know what will. Cesya, hurry up and write! We want to know what happens, and I need my Oli fix.

Fantastic debut! I can’t wait to read the rest of Callie’s story. I will definitely be picking up Battle Scars (Elemental #2) the day it’s available. Great job Cesya!

About the author:

Cesya MaRae Cuono hails from a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of Alvernia University where she majored in Business Administration and also received her certificate of Multi-Media & Production makeup from Cosmix School of Makeup Artistry. You can find any updates from Cesya on her website at www.cesyacuonobooks.blogspot.com.

Renée took a sip of her coffee and then leaned forward. “It’s not your fault. If anyone needs to ask forgiveness, it’s him.”

Isabel crossed her arms on the table in front of her. “I gave up on him. Who knows what would have happened if I had stuck around?”

“Nick treated you like dirt.”

“I wouldn’t say that exactly,” Isabel said defensively.

“Your whole relationship was a mess.”

Isabel snorted indelicately. “If you could even call it a relationship.”

“Nick was a jerk, plain and simple.”

“He wasn’t always bad. There were times when things were really great.”

“And times when he was completely obnoxious and ignored you. He messed with your head and then dropped you—repeatedly.”

Isabel sighed. She shouldn’t have brought this up to her sister in the first place. Renée had extremely strong opinions about Nicholas . . . she always had. After all, she’d been there to see Isabel’s heart broken by him over and over again. “Well, let’s just hope Caleb doesn’t take after his father.”

“I doubt he does. He actually asked Alexis to marry him after all.”

Isabel stared out the window, watching people walk by. “That could have been us. Maybe I gave up too soon.”

“You put up with his yo-yoing emotions way longer than any sane person would,” Renée said.

“Stop blaming him for everything, Renée! It wasn’t just him. I’m to blame too. I think he may have been starting to come around, but then I lost my temper.”

Renée shook her head. “You’re still delusional about him after all these years. Do I need to spell it out for you yet again? He. Didn’t. Love. You.”

Isabel stared at Renée, angry tears beginning to well in her eyes. “I can’t believe you. Even if that was true, you don’t have to be so hateful about it.”

“I’m sorry. I just hate that he’s still hurting you after all these years.”

“I understand. But you’re really not helping.” She drummed her fingers against the table. “Now the question is: Do I tell Lexi or not?”

“Don’t tell her. You don’t want your daughter getting freaked out and ending her relationship just because her mother dated her future father-in-law.”

“Yeah, that would freak her out. Okay, we’ll keep this between us.”

“Agreed.”

“Maybe I should find someway to apologize to Nicholas,” Isabel said.

“He doesn’t deserve an apology. He needs to apologize to you. Just let it go.”

“Fine. I’ll let it go,” Isabel agreed. For now.

*Note: I may eventually extend this into a novel. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think of it!

Here’s the prompt that I chose for this week: write for 20 minutes * A Medical Professional * the third time is the charm

Dr. Weston threw down her scalpel in disgust as the heart monitor gave out the worst sound she could possibly hear: the sound of yet another patient flat lining. She pulled down her mask. “I can’t believe I lost another one.”

“Don’t worry Doctor. You’ll get that grant,” an intern tried to encourage her.

She turned. “I’m not worried about the grant! Well, I am, but only because it will help these patients that I’m trying so hard to save.”

“Sorry, Doctor,” he apologized.

“This is still an experimental treatment,” the surgical fellow reminded her. “We still have plenty of time to perfect it.”

“Yes, but in the meantime, these patients keep dying!”

“Well, we have another scheduled for this afternoon,” the fellow reminded her. “You know what they say: ‘The third time is the charm.’”

Dr. Weston stared at him. “This is no time for your jokes. I need to go research some more. You should also. I’ll be expecting you in on that surgery this afternoon.”

She banged through the doors of the operating room to go wash up. She looked through the window separating the room from the OR to make sure no one was watching and then she slid to the floor. “I’m never going to get this treatment working,” she muttered to herself.

She heard someone coming so she quickly stood back to her feet and stripped off her gloves. She hit the lever to turn on the water and began scrubbing her hands furiously. “Everything okay, Doctor?” the intern asked.

“Yes, fine. Meet Dr. Roacke and me in the conference room after you finish cleaning up. We have a lot more work to do if we want to be ready for the next surgery.”

She didn’t wait for her intern to agree. She knew he would be there. He had to be if he wanted to stay in the internship program. She left the OR and headed for her office before deciding to go to the cafeteria instead. She needed coffee badly. Maybe it would help her concentrate. Maybe it would help her find an answer.